George  Washington  Flowers 
Memorial  Collection 


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ESTABLISHED  BY  THE 
FAMILY  OF 
COLONEL  FLOWERS 


MEMORIAL 


OP 


SILAS  W.  CHAPPELL 


PHILADELPHIA  : 

WILLIAM  H.  PILE'S  SONS.  Printers 


1928 


THE  FLOWLaG  COUiCTION 


MEMORTAL 


OF 


SILAS  W.  CHAPPELL 


PHILADELPHIA  : 

WILLIAM  H.  PILE'S  SOXS,  Printers 
1928 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 
in  2014 


https://archive.org/details/nnemorialofsilaswOOunse 


MEMORIAL. 


A  Mertwrial  issued  by  Piney  Woods  Monthly  Meet- 
ing of  Friends,  concerning  Silas  W.  Chappell,  a 
Minister,  deceased. 

"They  that  trust  in  the  Lord  shall  be  a.s  Mount  Zion,  which 
cannot  be  removed  but  abideth  forever."  (Psalms  125, 
first  verse.) 

In  following  closely  the  life  work  of  our  departed 
brother  and  humble  servant  of  the  Lord,  Silas  W. 
Chappell,  we  can  but  feel  the  above  quotation  to  be 
fittingly  applicable,  being  fully  persuaded  that  of  him 
it  could  be  truthfully  said,  he  looked  not  to  the  ways 
of  his  own  understanding,  but  his  faith  and  confidence 
were  ever  in  the  Lord,  ''Whom  to  know  is  life  eternal." 

Silas  W.  Chappell  was  the  son  of  Silas  and  Elizabeth 
Chappell  and  was  born  First  Month  17,  1844,  near 
Belvidere,  N.  C.  During  youth  he  was  a  sturdy  and 
deeply  concerned  boy  and  experienced  a  change  of 
heart  at  an  early  age.  Soon  afterward  he  felt  that  he 
should  bear  testimony  to  the  Saving  power  of  the 
Merciful  Savior.  Being  obedient  to  this  apprehended 
duty,  throughout  his  long  life,  he  experienced  great 
peace  of  mind  relative  thereto.  Others  in  the  younger 
walks  of  hfe  seeing  his  good  works,  frequently  sought 


4 


SILAS  W.  CHAPPELL. 


his  advice,  some  of  these  he  was  instrumental  in  win- 
ning over  to  the  cause  of  Truth. 

Silas  lost  his  father  by  death,  during  infancy.  This 
left  his  mother  with  the  care  of  several  children.  She 
found  the  rearing  of  her  family  called  forth  much 
anxiety  and  toil,  with  but  few  of  the  comforts  of  life, 
yet  she  was  ever  hopeful  and  prayerful,  striving 
earnestly  to  discharge  her  duty  not  only  in  an  outward 
sense,  but  spiritual  as  well.  Her  trust  was  ever  in 
God  to  sustain  her  in  her  endeavor  to  train  her  children 
in  the  way  of  righteousness.  To  this  Christian  training 
Silas  often  referred  with  a  beautiful  degree  of  apprecia- 
tion. He  attributed  much  of  his  success  through  life 
to  the  example  and  timely  advice  of  a  loving  and 
thoughtful  mother  and  as  such  he  desired  faithfully 
to  follow  in  her  footsteps. 

He  was  privileged  to  attend  New  Garden  Boarding 
School  (now  Guilford  College,  N.  C),  and  endeavored 
to  put  into  practice  the  religious  as  well  as  the  secular 
instructions  received  at  this  place.  Silas  remained  at 
the  old  homestead,  with  his  widowed  mother,  and  all 
through  life  made  this  place  his  home. 

On  First  Month  18,  1872,  he  was  united  in  marriage 
to  Elmira  J.  Boyce,  with  whom  he  lived  in  happy 
wedlock  for  fifty-six  years  and  who  preceded  him  to 
the  Great  Beyond  just  one  year  and  twelve  days. 
They  reared  a  family  of  eight  children,  all  of  whom 
live  to  testify  to  the  beautiful  Christian  training 
received  from  their  loving  and  deeply  concerned 
parents.    In  this  connection  the  parents  with  their 


SILAS  W.  CHAPPHLL. 


5 


dear  children  experienced  the  beautiful  reality  thai 
''Godliness  with  contentment  is  great  gain."  One  of 
his  daughters  says  of  him,  ''Father  was  strict  with  his 
children,  but  ever  administered  reproof  with  the  spirit 
of  love  and  we,  his  children,  remember  him  only  as  a 
kind  and  loving  father,  who  with  dear  mother's  thought - 
fulness  in  lending  him  a  helping  hand,  was  ever  mindful 
to  train  their  children  in  the  admonition  and  fear  of 
the  Lord."  She  further  says,  "Many  times  when  there 
seemed  to  be  no  way  open  for  them  to  accomplisli 
apprehended  duties,  most  especially  when  Father  felt 
called  out  on  missions  for  the  Lord,  there  was  a  way 
provided  for  them  and  joy  and  peace  of  mind  were 
their  portion." 

The  guidance  in  judgment  and  the  teaching  of  the 
way  promised  by  our  dear  Lord  to  the  meek  and  lowly 
in  heart  was  strikingly  exemplified  in  the  life  of  this 
dear  father. 

Says  one  of  a  fatherless  family  of  eight  living  near 
him,  "He  took  a  father's  place  in  our  home,  he  and  his 
good  wife  looked  after  us,  always  coming  to  our  rescue 
in  time  of  need.  We  looked  to  him  as  our  father  and 
felt  free  to  call  on  him  for  advice.  He  never  failed  to  do 
all  in  his  power  to  help  us  in  every  way  he  could,  not 
only  from  a  material  standpoint  but  a  spiritual  as 
well.   He  set  a  good  example  for  us  to  follow." 

As  Silas  advanced  in  years  he  became  more  and 
more  alarmed  over  the  many  things  to  draw  the  people 
away  from  Christ,  and  his  petition  often  went  up  in 
their  behalf. 


6 


SILAS  W.  CHAPPELL. 


He  was  not  recorded  a  minister  until  past  middle 
age.  He  occupied  this  station  a  little  more  than 
twenty-three  and  one-half  years.  He  ever  retained  a 
meek  and  lowly  spirit,  preferring  others  to  himself, 
which  won  for  him  the  happy  possession  of  the  orna- 
ments relative  thereto  and  which,  in  the  sight  of  God 
is  of  great  price.  His  ministry  was  ever  characterized 
by  words  of  praise  and  thanksgiving  to  his  Heavenly 
Father  in  whom  we  believe  he  delighted  to  dwell. 

His  ministerial  labors  being  mostly  confined  within 
the  limits  of  his  own  Yearly  Meeting,  very  rarely  do 
we  have  it  recorded  of  him  being  called  to  other  fields 
of  labor. 

He  was  faithful  in  the  attendance  of  all  his  religious 
meetings,  until  within  a  few  months  of  his  death, 
when  his  bodily  strength  so  failed  him  that  he  was 
obliged  to  remain  at  home.  His  interest  in  his  little 
meeting  continued  to  live  with  him,  and  he  encouraged 
those  about  him  to  faithfulness,  in  this  particular,  ever 
advising  that  they  endeavor  to  keep  up  the  meeting 
as  long  as  possible.  After  being  confined  to  his  bed, 
he  would  address  those  about  him  with  the  same  old, 
old  story,  ''Jesus  and  his  love,"  tenderly  instructing 
each  one  to  accept  the  blessed  invitation  of  the  dear 
Saviour,  who  says,  ''Come  unto  me,  all  ye  that  labor 
and  are  heavy  laden,  and  I  will  give  you  rest."  "Take 
my  yoke  upon  you,  and  learn  of  me;  for  I  am  meek 
and  lowly  in  heart ;  and  ye  shall  find  rest  unto  your 
souls." 

Once  when  in  the  younger  walks  of  life,  on  passing 


SILAS  W.  CHAPPRLI. 


7 


a  farm  home  one  day,  Silas  felt  improssod  to  cntor, 
but  was  rebellious  and  went  on  his  way.  Soon  there- 
after he  learned  that  at  that  particular  time,  a  person 
in  that  home  was  near  death  with  no  one  to  administei- 
to  her  need.  This  act  of  disobedience  caused  hir>i 
much  regret  throughout  life. 

During  the  last  few  days  of  lingering,  prior  to  his 
death,  so  long  as  strength  was  available,  he  continued 
to  praise  God  for  His  goodness  and  unmerited  mercy 
all  along  life's  journey,  often  expressing  the  desire  that 
he  might  peacefully  pass  away. 

This  prayer  was  answered  in  a  striking  manner,  near 
seven-thirty  o'clock  A.  M.,  First  Month  13,  1928,  he 
being  eighty-three  years,  eleven  months  and  twenty- 
six  days  old. 

His  funeral,  a  very  large  and  impressive  one  was 
held  at  Snow  Hill  Meeting-house,  on  First  Month  14, 
1928,  after  the  manner  of  Friends,  of  which  branch  of 
the  Church  he  was  a  life  long  member  and  his  remains 
placed  in  the  family  burying  ground  near  by. 

We  believe  his  is  an  inheritance,  incorruptible  and 
undefiled  and  that  fadeth  not  away,  reserved  in  Heaven 
for  those  who  are  kept  by  the  power  of  God,  through 
faith  unto  Salvation,  ready  to  be  revealed  in  the  last 
time. 


1 


N.C     204    299A    v. 1  nos,l-g3 

CALL  NUMBER 

Vol 

Date  (for  periodical)  \ 

■  \ 

204    299A    v.l  n08.1-23 

303286 

m 


